In which the "befriend the teacher" quests begin.

It was in math class that Juliana noticed something.

That in itself was close to miraculous - she was passing math, but only because Tyme let her draw in her notebook. She looked up at the feeling of an intense look, her drawing of a giant cupcake forgotten as completely as the math problem Tyme was talking them through.

She couldn't find anyone looking. She returned to the class, having lost the motivation for her sketch and the train of thought on the numbers. She wrote down 'Ask Florian for notes' on the cupcake, knowing that she'd forget to do even that.

Still, when she went up to the teacher to ask for a homework extension, Tyme was just as confused and concerned.

"You got distracted by the feeling of someone watching intensely, you say?" The teacher sighed. "Yes, it's been happening. At first I thought it was simply someone who loved math, but it's been happening outside of class as well."

"Maybe you're being haunted," Juliana said, looking around again. There was no longer any intense staring. "Maybe you're being stalked by a Ghost-type."

"That isn't it. I asked my sister - she's good with ghosts - and she said it probably wasn't a haunting."

"So what could it be?"

"We'll just have to keep an eye out, won't we?"

Tyme's smile was genuine, but she didn't seem entirely convinced that it wasn't a haunting. Juliana immediately changed the subject.

"So, about the homework. I didn't really grasp the method you were trying to teach..."

History class was, as usual, centered around both Florian and Juliana attempting to keep each other focused. Ms. Raifort, as usual, remained oblivious.

"The Age of Exploration lasted for 1,000 years," she said, and Florian dutifully took notes while Juliana clipped her pen to her lower lip. "In all that time, not one person found the rumored treasure. The end of the age brought the regions around Paldea to join into the region we know today, and the famed Naranja Academy was founded." She smiled slightly. "Of course, it wasn't always the Naranja Academy. It began as the Uva Academy - hence the phrase, 'those seeking knowledge need look no further than the grapes of Paldea.'"

Juliana raised her hand. "Why did the school change names?" she asked without being called on.

"Because, roughly 300 years ago, the king of Paldea hated grapes."

Juliana's hand fell, as did her jaw. "Seriously? The king hated grapes?"

"Not everything in history has a big war-related reason, Miss Juliana."

Florian had a question of his own, but he at least waited to be called on. "Speaking of wars, are we going to cover the Mad King of Kalos?"

"Someday," Raifort promised, and she continued her lesson.

Classes out for the day, Juliana found herself in the schoolyard.

There were worse places she could have ended up, really. The schoolyard, now that Ms. Dendra and the dreaded gym class were gone, was actually a nice place. She'd never noticed before.

Wandering over to the flowerbeds, she pulled out her sketchbook and began to draw the plants. She'd gotten used to putting her daydreams to paper, and she figured it would be best to try drawing real things again.

She was distracted, as usual, when a shadow passed her. She returned to her own art, only to hear someone sit next to her and begin sketching himself.

At that, she looked up. "Mr. Hassel!"

Hassel smiled back. "Good evening, Miss Juliana. I see I'm not the only one who comes to the courtyard in their spare time."

Juliana had picked up something entirely different, but still something she had in common with her favorite teacher. "You're left-handed, too?" she asked, lowering her sketchbook. Hassel did not lower his, but he looked over it to meet her eyes. "Is there such a thing as a left-handed pencil? Some guy tried to sell me one, and I wanted to know if it's a scam."

Hassel grew concerned. "Did you buy it?"

"Almost," Juliana admitted. "But I decided that since the right-handed ones work for me, I could keep using the ones I have."

Hassel almost laughed. "Well, then. I see no reason for you to buy them - besides, they work for me, too."

"What are you drawing?" Juliana asked, leaning back to see her teacher's sketchbook.

Hassel did not show her, pulling it away from her prying eyes. "I had barely started before you began the conversation."

Juliana's hands shot to her mouth, her flower sketch falling to the ground. "Sorry. I...guess we should both just do art in silence, then?"

Hassel agreed.

Juliana had no idea how long they were sitting there, her with her flowers and him with his secret mystery art (though, from the glance she'd managed to steal, it was probably his Gible assistant eating something) but the sky was much darker when they were both called out of their projects by a woman.

Hassel seemed to recognize her, which was surprising. "Oh," was all he said, and the woman crossed her arms over her chest.

"Is that really how you greet an ambassador for the clan, sir?"

Hassel put away his sketchbook and got to his feet, making a noise as his age caught up with him. "I suppose not," he admitted. He nodded toward Juliana. "I believe I need to speak to her alone. You don't mind being left behind?"

"Of course not!" Juliana squeaked. "I'm - I'm pretty much done, actually. I'll leave, you two can stay here!"

She grabbed her things and ran to the main building. As she stopped just inside the doors to catch her breath, she wondered who that woman was, and what Mr. Hassel was hiding.